French safari parks

There are lots of wildlife parks in France including safari parks and zoos. Here is a list of some of the most famous safari parks in France.

Cerza Safari Park, Lisieux, Normandy

The park is located an hour from Caen ferry port or three hours from Calais. There are more than 800 animals here which live on the 12 acres of natural surroundings. There’s a safari train and you will have the possibility to see lions, tigers, giraffes, bears, monkeys, kangaroos, zebras and panthers and many other species. If you stay at the hotel here you can also book some time with the animals, working alongside the keepers to prepare the meals and feed the animals – at a cost of around €70 per family or €5 each to feed the wolves at night – always accompanied English speaking guides.

Réserve Africaine de Sigean, near Narbonne in the Languedoc

There are 3800 (around 2000 birds, 900 mammals and 900 reptiles) animals in a huge area of 300 hectares in natural Mediterranean environment. It is one of Europe’s oldest safari parks and the biggest tourist attractions in the area. The park manages a successful conservation program and since opening more than 10,000 births have been registered here, some of which are rare including the pink-backed pelican, Grevy’s zebra and Hartmann’s mountain zebra, cheetah, African elephant, wild dog and chimpanzee. Visiting the park includes a drive through area or you can hire a minibus and guide for up to 15 people at a cost of around €100.

Thoiry Safari Park

It is located not far from Paris, the only safari park in this area. One thousand animals live here, in the park of the 1564 Thoiry Castle. Giraffes, elephants, lions, tigers and bears will amaze you and your children as you ride in your car through the park. The park offers a walk through a glass tunnel surrounded by tigers.

Note

Location: Rue du Pavillon de Montreuil, 78770 Thoiry

Nearby sights: Chateau de Versailles, The Hall of Mirrors , The Royal Opera (L’Opera Royal)

Parc de Branfere

Branféré is a safari park with more than 1,000 animals roaming freely, including giraffes, zebras, hippos, wolves and monkeys. Something that makes Branféré different is a high-level walkway which gives visitors a birds-eye view of many of the animals. The park is located just to the north of Le Guerno in the south east of Brittany, around 20km south east of Vannes.